How far do the fork tubes stick out of the upper tripple clamp? Have you modded the fender for clearnce for the brace and checked that the brace doesn't hit anything when the forks are fully compressed?

good luck

That was on the order for this morning. I took off the stock fender and replaced it from the stock fender off my DRZ400SM. I think it may be a little taller than the stock one. I shall report back

Even with the stock fender I think you are supposed to cut out the sides and use a fender brace. Before riding again it would be wise to check that there is clearance when the forks are fully compressed.

I think that "not knowing how to start my bike" has a lot to do with my troubles. After all, this machinery is unfamiliar to me.

1) How long does the bike have to cool off before you use the choke when you re-start it? I understand that if you park at 7-11, run in, and are back on the bike in 2 minutes you don't use the choke. How about a half hour? 2 hours? Some general guidelines would be helpful.

2) The fuel valve: There are 3 positions - ON, RES. and PRI. So, far, I've been leaving it in the ON position. I hear that when storing it for the winter, you should turn the valve off and run it until it dies, thus emptying the bowl in the carb. So, would PRI be the equivalent of OFF then? What the hell does PRI mean anyway?

3) Decompression lever: Uhh... what does this thing do?

4) I'm tempted to do the air-box and re-jetting mods if it will help with starting (after adjusting the valves to see if that helps, of course). How much does that mod affect gas milage and/or long term reliability/durability?
I like high miles per gallon and an engine that will last close to forever...

Finally, if anyone has a the tool box/bag and tools that came with the DR350 that they don't need, I'd be interested - my bike was missing the tools. Same goes for the owner's manual. I have the Clymer's, which is great, but it seems more interested in explaining how to work on your bike, rather than just how to operate the damned thing.
Sorry for the long post, and again, any advice and wisdom is appreciated. Thanks!

I had a '91 DR350SE, bought new and sold 2 years ago, below is what worked on that bike, My '99 only has the "e" button:

How long does the bike have to cool off ...
Unless it's very cold out, and the bike has been off for 2-3 hours, you should not need the choke again during the day, once it's been running and fully warm

The fuel valve: There are 3 positions - ON, RES. and PRI.
PRI is the primer, doesn't use the diaphram the ON uses, think "freeflow"

Decompression lever
Opens a valve to let compression out of the cylinder making it much easier to turn the motor over

Cold engine:
Turn petcock to PRI, full choke, hold decomp level while turning engine over till lever pops out and kickshift is in proper position, then kick start it, NO Throttle, none. Once started, turn petcock back to ON and wait for engine revs to pick up on their own, then you can off/half choke depending on temps and now you can use the throttle

Warm engine:
Leave in ON position, no choke, hold decomp level while turning engine over till lever pops out and kickshift is in proper position, then kick start it, maybe/maybe not using throttle, as my bike got older, it started best with about half throttle when warm

Even with the stock fender I think you are supposed to cut out the sides and use a fender brace. Before riding again it would be wise to check that there is clearance when the forks are fully compressed.

I chopped a bit out of the front fender. I think that was the hold up.

I still cannot believe that this happened while goofing off in the neighborhood and not while thrashing the bike on the trails!

With regards to kickstarting the DR, there's a bit of a ritual to it. Learn it well and the DR will never let you down.
Here's what I do:

Cold: key off, pull decomp in and hold while I pump the kickstart with my hand 5 or 6 times to get the cylinder ready. I then let go of the decomp and it sticks. I then move the kicker slightly till the decomp pops out. choke on, key on, NO throttle (HANDS OFF!!), big kick all the way to the bottom. Second kick is the same: pull decomp lever in and let go of it (usually sticks), push gently with my foot till the decomp pops closed, big kick to the bottom and hold for a "1 mississippi"...she's usually running by then.

Hot: as above with the decomp. no choke, half throttle, 1 kick fires it off.

The fuel valve: There are 3 positions - ON, RES. and PRI.
PRI is the primer, doesn't use the diaphram the ON uses, think "freeflow"

Careful, this is only true of the DR350S (or SE). The DR350 came with the 'pumper' carb (no vacuum port) and had a petcock with On/Off/Res settings. The vacuum petcocks have a tendancy to fail (and dump gas into the air box, or worse, the engine). The non-vacuum petcock is no longer available from Suzuki but I understand a WR400 petcock will work.

__________________There are some simple thruths......and dogs know what they are - Joseph Duemer

Andy holds the lead. And he will, all the way to the Highway. Today is his day.

Went to Start my 91 DR350 Saturday. Kicked it thru a couple times to more or less prime it, and on the third kick, it felt like someone had pulled the spark plug out. Haven't got a chance to really look at it yet, but i'm thinking it may be a valve issue.

Hey guys,
does anyone have any experience with the reinforced maier fender?
I have the fender on my bike right now, but I would like the bar there to strap luggage to and was wondering what the 7 mounting points are.

Also, can anyone recomend a decent aftermarket headlight? I have a stock offroad model headlight on it right now and its pretty feeble.
Or should I just upgrade the bulb?